The sources could not say whether the attackers instigated the protest or merely took advantage of it, and they say they don't believe Stevens was specifically targeted. Stevens and three other Americans suffocated trying to escape a fire after a grenade was thrown into the building, a senior U.S. official said.

This makes Obama's mid-east policy look even worse. We helped oust Qadaffi and put the current government (whoever that is) in place and this the thanks we get? Killing our diplomats? It's a shame the President didn't think to start his administration with an apology tour to Muslims. That would have made friends an overcome their hostility to us. Oh wait. . .

I can't imagine Obama skipping more than 60% of his national security briefings since he started campaigning last year will have ANY bearing on the public's perception of the job he's doing. Nor that this is the first ambassador killed since Carter in 1979. Nor that his campaign responded to Romney's statement 8 hours BEFORE there was any White House comment about the attacks.

Luckily, the MSM will give him a pass, so he won't have to answer any tough questions or do any explaining - he can keep his Letterman and "Pimp with a Limp" appointments and tee times and fundraising dinners and campaign appearances without any of that nasty POTUS stuff getting in the way.

But were they Marines, as one report puts it? Diplomats? Contractors? Is our government--who must know quite a bit--going to tell us what went on? Or are they holding everything back out of fear of political backlash against the President? Careers are at stake here, and not just Obama's.

My assumption is that more energy is being put into the political manipulation of this event than informing the public and responding against the perpetrators. I do not automatically--as our government and press seem to have done--exclude Libyan authorities from responsibility.

It's just such an ugly and vicious way for these people to die. Stevens could have been making megabucks as a trade lawyer or a businessman with his language and other skills. Instead he chose a dangerous and difficult life as a moderately paid diplomat. The others must have made similar choices. God bless them please.

I don't know why no one would believe "American sources" over "Libyan sources". We/re both led by Muslims. We're both lied to by Muslims.

Here's the shameful part...Some are going to argue that this was "arranged" by the Zero administration to save his election chances. Gin up jingoistic patriotism. Don't change horses mid-stream etc.

And credence will be given because this is something that has been bandied about for a year now. That Zero would arrange some sort of crises that would either unite the country in his favor, or failing that, allow him to declare martial law.

While I do think it is not beyond the pale for Zero to arrange an American crises, I don't think the Key Stone Cops running the WH could coordinate something this elaborate outside the country.

I'e got plenty of reason to despise Zero. Him going all false flag ain't one of them.

Ps.

In another post late last night I commented that it was 3 am and the phone was ringing. Apparently, no one heard at all. Not even the chair,

This was a planned operation with a concurrent disinformation campaign. This has nothing to do with the damn youtube. Ignore it: it's bullshit, it's cover, and talking about it is a waste of time. The enemy wants you to waste time on the stupid video. You think they care? Or do they have a political goal that they are using violence to further?

The Muslim Brotherhood just scored a huge victory. They humiliated us, boosted their street cred as the leading anti-American power, and aren't going to suffer any consequences at all. It's all win for them. And what's good for them is going to be bad for us.

Ignore the mobs and look at the leaders. Nothing happens in Egypt without the Brotherhood having something to do with it.

They really are like the Communists, the Bolsheviks to Al Qeada's anarchists. Be skeptical, be suspicious, and be vigilant.

"But were they Marines, as one report puts it? Diplomats? Contractors?"

http://www.pcgamesn.com/eve/senior-goonswarm-member-killed-libya

One was a very high-level member of the notorious Goonswarm Alliance in Eve Online, and had served a term on the game's CSM (sort of a player-run council to represent the interests of the players in dealings with the company that runs the game, CCP). He was apparently doing IT contract work for State.

In 1979, the British embassy warned the US that there were rumors of an attack and recommended that all non-essential US embassy personnel leave. They offered to allow essential US personnel to stay in the British embassy. The Brits were ignored.

I'll wager that, once again, there was intelligence that an attack was being planned and the US chose to do nothing under the fear of offending the host country.

Canada recently closed their embassy in Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats. A year ago, the British embassy in Tehran was attacked. They closed it. The US embassies in Libya and Egypt will likely remain open.

This was an act of war and US officials are acting like it was a faux pas on par with using the wrong fork for the salad.

"How about a moment of Althouse blog respect for the four Americans who died?"

Respect like civility is a wonderful thing, but there is nothing to suggest that silence (or commentary) is the more respectful approach. It all depends on what one says and how one says it. I suspect that calls such as that one for 'respect' are advanced with an agenda of their own, much as the 'civility' meme was as well.

You people just don't understand. Allah and Mo are sensitive. That's why the muj is so protective. Any little aspersion causes them incredible humiliation. Of course I would be humiliated too, if I were a boy loving misogynistic pederast. With a teeny little dick, that didn't work.

I think little of the violence in the middle east is casual. Most of it is opportunism. Like the little cells in the US of anarchists who dream of beings today's Lenin. Just they are a little bigger in the ME.

The movie/video is just a pretext the Democrat media seized on to take the heat off their champion who has spent so much time bragging about bin Laden's slaying. WSJ is reporting: “According to the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram, the Cairo mob chant[ed]: “Obama, Obama there are still a billion Osamas.”